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It’s such an obvious deflection that I almost laugh. “You know I don’t care, right? The shed doesn’t gross me out, and the more you pick at it, the faster it will end.”

“Would you prefer I wore it like an accessory? I’m not above that; it might even be sort of badass.” He tosses the apple core into a wastebasket across the room with effortless skill. “I could start a new fashion trend—shed chic.”

That gets a genuine laugh out of me, which sends another ripple of pain down my spine. I reach for my back, trying to rub out the knot forming between my shoulder blades. “Fuck, what’s wrong with me? I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

“Fighting mythical creatures can be a real bitch,” Dezi says as he appears soundlessly next to Revelin. I jump, making a strangled sound. I didn’t even realize he wasn’t on the bed. “Supernatural powers are not exactly known for their gentle approach to... integration.”

“So this is normal? Really?” I ask, turning to face him. This sends a fresh jolt of pain down my spine, and I can’t help the wince. “I really don’t remember injuring it, but maybe… It was during our playtime.”

“It’s possible, witchling,” he says with a shrug. “We were quite reckless and vigorous. Give it a little time and perhaps it will work itself out.” The vampire gives me a critical look, studying me carefully. “The rest of you look as if it’s healed well.”

“My shit is good, if you’re wondering,” Revelin says as he elbows me with a grin. “But then I didn’t fight the Worldroot head-on, so…”

“Me, too.” Tiernan holds his arm up and waves it. “But as Rev said, I was a side character in your legendary journey.”

“How do you know? It’s not like you’re Fae.”

Revelin laughs when I make a face at the leopard, shaking his head. “All of Faerie knows about the trees, but that was the first time either of us got to see one. Worldroots are supposed to be the first magic—the original connection between the courts and the land itself.” The prince pushes himself up to look at me as he drops his phone. “And courts don’t exactly advertise them to outsiders, but the royal trials are famous amongst my people. Or infamous, depending on who you talk to.”

I don’t like the idea of that at all. Being a War Queen is going to be enough attention.

The realization that I’ve just become part of Faerie’s best-known legend leaves me uncomfortable and edgy. “The marks are permanent, and the tales people will tell after I come back here are enough infamy for me, thanks. I don’t need the tree thing being another point of contention.”

“Fame is not something you can control,” Dezi says as he moves to the sideboard and reaches for the coffee carafe. He pours two cups without looking, the motion so practiced it’s almost unconscious. “Those in Briarvale will be even worse because of your newfound skills.” Passing me my mug, his eyes meet mine for a long moment. “It will be difficult to deal with those who scorned you before without causing a scene.”

The way he says it—gentle guidance mixed with the smugness of a man who is my mate—makes me flush. I take a sip of the coffee to hide my expression, but it burns my tongue and I nearly spit it back out. “Hot, hot, hot,” I manage, shoving the cup back at him.

He just raises an eyebrow. “It’s coffee, witchling. That’s sort of the point.”

This is why I prefer energy tonics over everything, and I don’t trust anyone here to fucking make them without poisoning me.

I’m saved from having to come up with a response by a ding coming from Rev’s phone. He picks it up and looks down at the screen. His face does something complicated—part relief, part worry, part something I can’t quite name. “Oh, thank fuck,” he says.

“Who is it?” Khol asks as he rises. He walks over to the sideboard, picking up a bunch of fruit, cheese, and meat to pile on a plate that I bet is for me.

“The crew,” Revelin says, and I can hear the relief in his voice now. “They’re finally getting in. Apparently, the castle’s wards have been adjusted—we’re no longer being blocked from the outside world. It was keeping them out while we were in the trial.”

For fuck’s sake… that’s so much wasted time for people who had jobs to do.

There’s a moment of silence as we all process this, and then Tiernan lets out a breath. “Well, they’re here now, at least,” he says, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “Are they going to set up for the show?”

Revelin’s already scrolling, his eyes moving rapidly back and forth across the screen. “The crew made it here late last night—they were held up at the border until the ‘situation’ here was resolved.” He does actual air quotes with his fingers. “They’re at an inn in the lower city, and they’ve got the venue set up for tomorrow night. Ash is already working on the sound system, and everyone’s getting settled in.”

“That’s... actually good news,” I say, a little surprised. “It means we can proceed with the tours as planned, without worrying that your show will be delayed.”

“They couldn’t do that,” Dezi says, running a hand through his hair. “If they’d held the crew hostage, it would have been an act of aggression to Daybreak. This way, they can say they were just being cautious given the uncertainty of the situation. They look like they’re playing fair, but they certainly are not.”

I can practically hear the royal decree in every word he says. My vampire has clearly spent enough time in courts to know exactly how the game is played. “Fuck them and their malicious compliance crap.”

“So, what’s the plan for today, then?” Khol asks as he comes back to the bed. He settles in and holds up a piece of dried meat for me. Once I take a bite, he tears a chunk off with his teeth, chewing thoughtfully. “We’ve got one show here, then we’re on to Reaping, right?”

“That’s what Amethyst scheduled,” the prince says, swiping to another screen. “Assuming the good king and queen of Midnight don’t decide to make things difficult, we should be on the road in two days.”

“I warned them,” I say with a shrug that immediately makes me regret the movement. “I expect them to keep their word, or we’re going to have a lot bigger problems than the tour schedule and your bitchy manager.”

“Apparently the entire court is talking about the edicts, by the way,” Revelin says as he turns the phone so we can see the screen. His social media feed is filled with images of us walking through the corridors last night after the trial. “The word is that you’re not just the lost heir, but the first in centuries to actually be marked by the tree. According to this, that’s never happened before. I’d have to ask my mother if that’s true, though, because I’m uncertain.”

A cold sensation trickles down my spine. “Those idiots put this on your Faerie internet? Are they fucking crazy?!”